Dr. Kate Mueller joined the world of higher education as a professional in 1985 and has worked at a variety of institutions including private and public, large and small, four-year, international, and community colleges.
Starting off in four-institutions she found her calling within Student Services/Student Affairs. Since joining community colleges in 2001 she has served as an adjunct EOPS Counselor, Dean of Students, Dean of Special Projects, and Dean of Enrollment Services, and since 2017 she has served in the executive role of Vice President of Student Services at Coastline College in Orange County, CA. Dr. Mueller has held a wide range of responsibilities as an educator and administrator, and areas of expertise include threat management and threat assessment, crisis management, behavioral intervention strategies, assessment in Student Affairs and ethical leadership.
She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Scripps College, a M.S. in Counseling with a specialization in Student Development in Higher Education from CSU Long Beach, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership in Higher Education from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. An active member for 30 years, a highlight for her has been to serve as the NASPA Community College Division Director, to receive the national Community College Professional award, and to be named as one of the 2019 Pillars of the Profession. Having a passion for lifelong learning and professional development, Dr. Mueller is honored to have been recently selected for the 2023-2024 inaugural cohort of UC Davis Wheelhouse’s Aspiring Leadership Institute.